More Gurkha soldiers to lose jobs in British Army

Kathmandu, Nepal (AHN) – Hundreds of Nepalese Gurkha soldiers are expected to lose their jobs in the British army in the defense ministry’s latest round of reduction in military strength.

“As part of further work on defense restructuring the British Army has announced today (17 January 2012) the arrangements for a second phase of Army redundancies,” a statement released by the British Embassy in Kathmandu said.

Around 400 Gurkhas are expected to be made redundant out of the 2,900 positions to be cut.

The Brigade of Gurkhas in the British Army has 3,740 soldiers. They have been the part of the British army for almost 200 years.

The defense review, which was published in 2010, demanded 7,000 job losses, but that figure more than doubled last year as the Ministry of Defense struggled to contain its ballooning budget. The ministry argues that the Gurkha brigade has grown too big in recent years, and is bound to face further cuts.

Opponents of the reduction say the soldiers, who are recruited from Nepal, are an easy target. A “Save the Gurkha” petition has been launched by the same group that fought successfully for the Gurkhas to have the same rights as other soldiers.

The Brigade of Gurkhas has been growing in size since modernization in 2007, which also allowed them to serve for 22 years instead of 15.

According to the British media, around 140 Gurkhas lost their jobs in the first wave of defense cuts last year.

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Nepal plans to host 200,000 gay tourists in ambitious tourism year

Kathmandu, Nepal (AHN) – As part of its ambitious Nepal Tourism Year – 2011, which is set to unveil on Jan.14, Nepal is gearing up to host more than 200,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) tourists, a country that is pioneering in gay rights activities.

Nepal hopes to welcome more than 1 million tourists during the year. The country only recently surfaced from a deadly decade-long conflict in which 13,000 people were killed.

Nepal’s president, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, is scheduled to inaugurate Nepal Tourism Year 2011 next Friday amid a gala ceremony in Kathmandu. According to Aditya Baral, of the Nepal Tourisn Board, 49 international media organizations will attend the opening day.

The Blue Diamond Society, a pioneering organization in LGBTI rights, is planning to invite gay tourists from across the globe. The group’s chairman and Member of Parliament Sunil Babu Panat, who is also gay, has established Pink Mountain Travels and Tours to help welcome the gay fraternity to Nepal.

The newly established travel agency provides holiday and travel packages that include wedding, honeymoon and anniversary celebrations exclusively for LGBTI. “The response from international clients is very much encouraging,” said Panata, who hosted a gay marriage in Kathmandu last year. The BDS organized the same-sex marriage of an Indo-British couple last August in Nepal.

“We are encouraged by the response extended by our target tourist. As of now two proposals of same-sex marriages were confirmed. And some have expressed commitment for trekking and adventures,” Panta said.

Nepal’s two economic giants, India and China, are the marketing focus of the Pink agency.

Globally, gay tourism is estimated to be over US$100 billion a year.

“The U.S. alone makes $68 billion every year through gay tourism,” said Panta. “We are one of the fastest growing South Asian countries to accept the natural characteristics of being LGBTI. We can reap this benefit to boost the economy of the country.”

Research conducted by the Community Marketing International (CMI) in the United States found that 98 percent of LGBTIs have at least one overnight trip a year.

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